Basement Moisture

tdiehlApril 8, 2013

We are planning to finish our basement but need to understand an issue. Last year, we had an ant problem in the basement near the sill plate. We also experienced heavy rains. There was some sort of leak that I believe started from the exterior of the house.

Ants are gone, but the area still "looks" wet. I've added pictures for better understanding. My question is:

1.) What professional is best to contact for a evaluation on what is causing the problem or how to remedy it. General contractor? Waterproofer? Basement related contractor?

We simply do not know who looks at this type of stuff and has the expert opinion on if there is a big problem and how to fix.

Additional pics that may increase the odds that it is flashing or lack thereof. It's hard to tell but from another angle it appears the flashing is on the other side of the chimney, but it almost looks damaged or altered somehow. Hard to explain as I had to use binoculars.

Yes, your pic shows a classic lack of kickout flashing. If you're lucky, the bulk of the water may only be running down the surface as opposed to behind the stucco.

Take a look at the Fine Homebuilding article I linked to above to see what's missing. You should also check that your eavestrough is clean and sloped correctly to working downspouts that take the runoff far from your basement.